Master Transmogrifist - Which Favored Shapes?

[FrostedMini1337]

Yeah, you should have him clarify.

I mean theres some relatively harmless crap you could do "At Will" (Turn in to a trumpet archon and start cranking out everburning torches for free, turning quite a profit), but some of the creatures have stuff like invisiblity spheres, and more powerful stuff at will.

Might want him to make a set in stone decision.

 

[jekessler]

Might want him to make a set in stone decision.

Always a difficult thing, but I've asked. You're right, some of those at will Spell-like Abilities aren't too bad, but I think for the puposes of discussion, I should limit my question to just adding Supernatural abilities.

 

[jekessler]

Might want him to make a set in stone decision.

OK, got a response back from him detailing his limits a bit more. Pretty much what I figured. The references to Spell Energy are his custom spell point system. Still leaving final disposition on the abilities, though, depending on what I choose. Not that I expect anything else, since he modifies many things as he goes.

"I don't see any reason why your character won't be able to eventually gain both the Supernatural (I am thinking at 8th) and Spell Like (I am thinking at 9th) abilities of creatures --- do note however that on the Spell Like abilities you will only be able to use them if you have the energy for a spell of that level -- or in other words the energy to cast the Spell Like abilities will come from your personal store (you will not gain any additional energies). However, keep in mind that some "Spell Like" abilities I have changed to "Spell" abilities and these you do not gain because they are not inherent to the creature in question but something it learned beyond its normal abilities. Basically what you can gain will be those abilites that "every" creature of that type would have no matter what their attributes would be.

Also keep in mind that you can not Transform into the following types of creatures: Shape-Changers, Oozes, and Undead. Which means you could not change into a Dopple Ganger as you suggested in a previous email. Also if you change into a creature that is inherently evil (such as Devils, Demons, or other Outsiders of this type) you are going to have alignment issues to deal with.

However just because a creature is stated as being evil does not mean it is "inherently evil". I consider most creatures to be "inherently neutral" but they tend towards the alignment listed on the average. So this means ask if you are considering an "evil" type creature.

On the positive side I am going to allow Constructs but with the stipulation that if you Transform into a Construct you will have a base 50% Arcane Spell Failure chance regardless of the Construct type chosen. Further this option will not be open to your character until he is at least a 6th level Transmogrifist and I may bump it up to 7th level -- have not determined exactly which would be best.

As a final note -- please keep in mind that I use the Monster Manual as a guideline and some creatures listed in the book are slightly different in my world due to my conceptualization of that creature. So far the most I have changed a creature has been about 25% and I don't forsee any creature taking on much more change than that.

Lastly I will reserve the right to treat each creature on a case by case basis but on the positive side I may except creatures not listed in the base Monster Manual -- provided they at least come from one of the D&D books."

So, short answer, SU abilities in, and so are Spell-Like, but I don't get extra spell slots (points) to cast them with, and some may have been changed to pure spells anyway...

 

[FrostedMini1337]

Hrmm, well it's cool that he'll allow you to shift to constructs, pick up Clay Golem, then you can add spell immunity or cursed wounds when you shift. Pixies, Nymphs, Destrachan, Chokers and Mind Flayers are all still really good choices, but those are choices based mostly on the fact that they have really cool SU and EX abilities that you can mix around.

Hyrda is a fun thing to change too for combat. Ettins are nice once you manifest EX abilities, if you carry around 2 uber weapons. Frost Worm, Rust Monster are fun.

Pick up something with a swim speed, even if something simple like a Shark or Whale.

Bodak is fun. Their CE, but just don't shift in to them, and swap their gaze attack of death to another forms.

Notes: Consider taking Arcane Strike, and other combat related feats that you can utilize better while in your forms. Are you a wizard or a sorcerer? Also, most of my suggestions are based on the fact that they give cool bonuses you can move around, and you can't do that until 10th, so make sure your choices are solid for whenever you take them. And don't forget to take 1 or 2 "utility forms". Find something with a climb and a swim speed that you like, stuff like that.

 

[jekessler]

And don't forget to take 1 or 2 "utility forms". Find something with a climb and a swim speed that you like, stuff like that.

I get that. But with the eventual "infinite variety", if I understand it correctly, I should be able to add in more 'mundane' attributes such as speed to a favored form from a non-Favored one, so taking a form just for (non-ex) movement isn't necessary, is it?

So creatures I select should be useful now, but more useful at higher levels. Hence the 'help!' part.

I understand the choice of pixie for the eventual improved invisibility, but wouldn't Invisible Stalker be a better all-around choice for that ability?

And yes, I had seen hydra as a suggestion elsewhere, and I'm going to see if he'll buy choosing a Lernaean Cryohydra as one form.

I say cryohydra for variety in breath weapon, since my first form will no doubt be to copy the Brass Dragon which our party has managed to get to trust us and is relying on us to protect its lair as it sleeps for a year or so. Plenty of time to study and meet the DM's requirements for such to pick the form up.

Other forms which I'm currently considering are War Troll and Will o Wisp.

I also like the idea of a Beholder and A Mind Flayer, just for the iconic resonance.

Since shapechangers are off the list, I was looking for a non-Shapeshifter form that would give me humanoid alter self/polymorphing so I could disguise whatever form I was in automatically. Candidates includes the Shapeshifting demons and devils (succubi and erinyes), rakshasa, or death slaad. Though the DM is trying to limit this by reclassifying some of those creatures with the shapechanger subtype, or making the shifting a divine (or infernal as the case may be) gift instead of a inherent ability. And with the alignment issues he's suggesting, only the death slaad would be 'safe', I think. Any other options that I've missed?

As a transmogrifist, I'll probably have more than enough ability in this regard on my own anyway, but want to cover my bases, so to speak.

 

[jekessler]

Notes: Consider taking Arcane Strike, and other combat related feats that you can utilize better while in your forms. Are you a wizard or a sorcerer?

Forgot to address this bit.

This is a wizard character, just now picking up 4th level spells. Though in this DM's world the line in blurred, as Int only applies to remembering arcane spells, learning them is a function of wisdom, and bonus spells are governed by Cha.

I've read that good feats to take include Practised Spell caster, and some arcane form of Natural Spell. I'm afraid I'm at a loss when it comes to the Combat Feats beyond the basics.

 

[FrostedMini1337]

Right, but you can't do the infinite variety until later. (I think, don't have book on hand), but you have dragon anyway, so you have burrow and fly covered.

As for the stalker, forgot he was letting you do elementals. But if you do pixie, you can do the arrows too, in addition to opening up some spell options (including polymorph lawl.)

Is he going to let you add HD on to your forms? EX: If you get a form when your 13 HD, would he let you take a 7HD and add 6HD if it says in the creatures block that you can? Some DM's are against that (the larged HD is supposed to represent freak/special creatures) some aren't.

Speaking of Dragons, Dragonne and DragonTurtle are both good.

It seems like there would be a good way to abuse Troll/War Troll or something with rend with an ability similiar to the Stirge Attach ability, but I'm not sure thats legal. (Can you hit, then rend, and get the grapple in at +12 racial from stirge?) I'm going to look and see if I can find anything with a better constrict than the assassin vine, but I'm not sure you'd wanna waste a form on Stirge.

Swarms are interesting. Some of them have diseseas, with Hellwasps you can inhabit stuff. Swarms are real interesting when you add DR or resistances to them. Swarms are super fun when you mix invisible stalker and they can't see the swarm distracting+killing them.

Also, do you have an expected level cap? Some kids know that the party won't make it past like say level 14.

 

[jekessler]

Right, but you can't do the infinite variety until later. (I think, don't have book on hand)

Yep, that's not until MT 10th.

Is he going to let you add HD on to your forms? EX: If you get a form when your 13 HD, would he let you take a 7HD and add 6HD if it says in the creatures block that you can? Some DM's are against that (the larged HD is supposed to represent freak/special creatures) some aren't.

Well, I checked on whether he'd allow the dragon form to 'age' as I got higher in level, and he indicated yes, since that is spelled out in the creature description, but I'm not sure about buffing up a monster to a supermonster. He says:

"Next as I see it -- the limitation on the size of
Dragon (not the type of Dragon) is subject more to the
caster's level (then again I could be wrong), while
the Favored Shape is mostly a generic creature of the
"type" that you have chosen with your physically
attributes proportionally applied (which is to say if
you are strong for your race then your shape will be
strong for its type as well) unless you wanted them to
be less. So in short I would probably allow you to
alter your physical abilities up to your maximum and
this includes Hit Dice/Size."

Which does seem to indicate he might be willing to do so, but I think that might be abusing the leway he's already giving me, so I'm not going to push it for now.

but I'm not sure you'd wanna waste a form on Stirge.

True, though on the plus side, I've already studied them extensively, as I had to defeat a cave full of them by myself at 4th level, after I had been sealed in with them. Luckily I had some good area affect offensive spells as well as web and judicious use of Summon Monster to create targets for the stirges to swarm on...

Swarms are interesting. Some of them have diseseas, with Hellwasps you can inhabit stuff. Swarms are real interesting when you add DR or resistances to them. Swarms are super fun when you mix invisible stalker and they can't see the swarm distracting+killing them.

Also, do you have an expected level cap? Some kids know that the party won't make it past like say level 14.

The swarm idea sounds awesome. But they don't show up in my 3.0 Ed MM, so i don't know if the DM would even allow them.

As for level, the DM has said he would like to go well into Epic Levels (indeed, we've started to suspect that the whole area we are in is a battle ground for extraplanar demigods and creatures, so we'd have to get at least that far to eventually 'finish' the game).

Thanks again for the suggestions!